The Emperor’s Children

Bootie Tubb is a flabby, intellectual, college dropout who makes his way to NYC and is taken in by his uncle, the great Murray Thwaite (writer, opinion-maker extraordinaire). The glamorous life of the Thwaites is shared with Bootie, who develops a crush on his cousin Marina. Eventually Bootie moves out on his own into Marina’s friend Julius’ sublet apartment, and becomes slightly obsessed with exposing his uncle’s weaknesses. His life ends with a flash in the 9/11 disaster, then he picks up and moves to Miami, rebranding himself as Ulrich New.
This only a glimpse of the many characters within… there’s also Marina’s friend Danielle, hopelessly gone on Murray Thwaite; Julius & David and the biting incident. Ludovic Steely, Marina’s fiancee then husband whose magazine was set to explode onto the stage the week of 9/11/01, and which is shuttered after the event. Marina herself, and the book she eventually churns out– the Emperor’s Children Have No Clothes.
Overall, good writing and decent enough plot to keep me coming back for more until I finished it. Perhaps a bit on the beach-read side of reading, but that is all I can handle these days.